Present Perfect

2005-1-3111:30 am

There’s a store on the way to work I can choose to pass by if I decide to not take the bus but walk the last end to work after taking the subway. The only two things I ever buy there are Pepsi Twist (con un toque de limon) and chocolate cookies. The lady at the cash register invariably asks for your money ending the request with “guapo” or any variation on the word (guapetito, guapeton, guapissimo, …). She doesn’t say it in a sexy or alluring way, she just states it matter-of-factly, as if you could be nothing other than pretty. For some reason or other it gives me the best feeling, which lasts a good chunk into my morning.

She’s not extremely good-looking or anything, but the way she treats other people makes her radiate some inner beauty that if not for the purity of it would make you plain jealous. The store isn’t anything special at all and they have nothing you can buy you can’t find anywhere else. But contrary to other stores, I’ve never seen an unhappy person ever in that store, and I haven’t seen anyone not liking being called some form of prettiness when leaving. To say I’m only drinking Pepsi Twist because it allows me to go to the store would be stretching the truth, but I can’t say I drink less of it than before I got here :)